Fresh look for collections at the Oxfordshire Museum

Heritage enthusiasts, researchers and residents will benefit from a number of improvements that have been made to how collections are displayed and cared for by the Oxfordshire Museum service.

The Oxfordshire County Council-operated museum store has installed two new kinds of museum racking – improving the storage facility.

The new racking makes better use of the available space and allows for the archaeological collections be accessed more easily.

These archives include pottery dating from the Bronze Age through to the Tudor periods, ancient animal bone, which researchers study to reveal their stories, and even the stonework from buildings.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: “The Oxfordshire Museum service has wonderful collections, and the county has particularly rich archaeology.

“The collection covers 200,000 years of archaeology in the county, and includes stories of Vikings in Oxfordshire, Roman coin hoards and Tudor dress accessories. Nearly every parish has some archaeology in our collection.

“We have improved the management, care and access of the objects that are stored here. If visitors want to examine an object more closely, they can now access it easily in our conservation studio for research or just appreciation.”

Anyone can access the county’s collections from the comfort of their own homes using Oxfordshire heritage search, the council’s online portal to collections. The museum service welcomes all enquirers and researchers wanting to view or study collections in person at the council’s store in Standlake.

For a true glimpse behind the scenes, the service also offers tours as well as workshops and private talks for groups. For more information visit the service’s website or email oxfordshire.museum@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

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